Boontheshop: 2015 BoY Winner for Fashion Retail

All angles in white marble, a stunner akin to monumental sculpture, this luxury women's wear emporium is furthermore Interior Design Hall of Fame member Peter Marino’s first ground-up project in South Korea. Or make that two sculptures. Given site conditions, on a steep slope, separate volumes are linked by steel-framed glass bridges.

Each building has seven levels above-grade. Three are dedicated to retail, the others to a café, a private club, and a cultural center. A double-height gallery occupies the basement. That totals 55,000 square feet, plus 10,000 square feet of covered terraces including one at rooftop.

The bifurcated configuration suits the program just fine, as the fashion labels carried are either edgy or elegant: Maison Margiela, Proenza Schouler, and Chrome Hearts on the one hand and Saint Laurent and Céline on the other. Marino incorporated slab openings, double-height spaces, and a materials palette of concrete and raw metals on what he calls the “more aggressive” side, aimed at young and progressive customers. Meanwhile, its counterpart boasts intimate spaces finished in marble, white oak, and decorative plaster.

Each side also has a staircase befitting the environment. One is angular in waxed blackened steel, the other more gentle in the same marble used on the facade.